The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-07-29


frightfully hot ''See here, Elisha,
he said. after . pause. Allows Ii,
Grand American Eagle a-doin'f"
s-6he isn't a-doin'."
sNothin' at alli''
'.No; hasn't been for ter years"
s.It cas 3 splendid mine osce. Elisha
You used to say so. !"
$50 it was; but we struck hard-pal
You remember about it. What's thu
use Of rskin' over old personalities u
this time. when 1 ought to be received
with open arms. and bonfire lighted,
and fireworks touched Off"
Il know. l know" replied Amasa,
apologetically. II ought to ask how
you have happened on East this way"
"Why. yes; you ought to show sonst
brotherly feeling. It's natural"
"Well. Elisha, have .ou got any
ready money in your pocket"
"A thousand dollars"
Amasa walked over to his old rusty
safe. '.Better put the money in heree'
he asked, casually. Elisha handed him
roll of bills. Don't feel like payin'
back any of that two thousand?' asked
Amasa. facctiously. referring to the
loan he made him IN the mining
scheme.
"No," said Elisha. II don't" After
q pause, while his brother locked the
safe, he said: "That thousand is the
last cent I've got in thu world"
''Glad you've come home. Glad
you've come to live with me-" said
Amasa, rubbing his hands. "Thc girls
will be SO happy to see you. Come.
let us go in the house."
He slipped an old. wcli-worn over
coat over his shoulders without but
toning it. and they vert out into the
rain. Elisha was very well dressed.
Any one would have taken him for q
well-to-do Western bank president
He looked sleek and well-fe6. There
wasn't trace of anxiety about his
face. Otherwise the brothers looked
very much alike.
As they were crossing the threshold
of the house, Amasa whispered: ''Just
tell the girls you're millionaire; for
a joke. You know"
Elisha winked. 'Ycs." he said. '.for
a joke-wish 1 was. though" and they
entered the parlor. There were the
six girls; six good-looking, hearty,
frank. healthy country girls. They all
rose. and gave veritable shout of well
come. They usually gave a united
shout whenever any thing pleased
them. They fairly screamed when
Elisha opened the door. They flew at
him. They kissed him. They took his
hat for him; they took his overcoat
and umbrella And how they were inn
pressed when their father said. proud
~; "And then to think that your uncle
mas returned to us a millionaire!'
"a nillionaire!-really?" chorussed
the girls.
Elisha began to feel his old boastful
spirit, for which he had long been not
ed, coming over him again. "Why,"
he said, tout in California we don't
reckon a million much money, All
my friends are worth over million.
Ny five million dollars don't count
very much out there"
elisha says he is going to build a
public library building for East Ches-
terville." put in Amasa. without q
grimace.
"A public libraryr' chorused the
girls.
HE says he don't mind paying of
the debt on the church either" added
their prcvaricator of father.
'.How perfectly splendidr'
mo one would have thought the
Grand American Spread-eagle Mine
would have PANIED on. so WE'LL" said
Amasa.
BY this time the six girls were dane
ing around the room in their excite
ment They had never been so excited
since John Mawley, the son of Mawley
the mill owner at the other end of the
village, had become engaged to Bessie
Snow, their eldest sister-said Mawley
having concluded. on the consent and
advice of his father, to break off said
engagement after knowledge of Law
yer Shows financial condition came
out and became common gossip.
elisha says the Sunday-school shall
have new organ if it takes his last
cent" said their father, laughing heart
ily. He could not hold himself in.
.Well," said Elisha, "not quite as
bad as that. But they shall have new
melodeon-yes."
This capped the climax. The Sun
day-school had been holding picnics,
strawberry-festivals, ice-cream festi-
walls, lectures. busy-becs, and I don't
know what besides-in which the six
girls had taken lively interest-to
raise money enough for an organ; but,
do their hest, they could only raise
about fifty dollars. They threw them
selves upon their uncle, and as there
was not quite enough of him to go
around, they threw themselves upon
their father. TWAS touching scene.
Two of the girls were in tears, and one
Of them was heard to say: ''Our de-
liverer!'
And there in the midst stood the two
old hypocrites, laughing as heartily as
the rest-only-only in Amasa Shows
eyes there glistened some real tears
Poor man! how he wished it was all
true! For he loved his girls beyond
every thing on earth. and their happi-
ness and Joy unnerved him for his little
ochovvno IL e chou1d foil hory sh,,,ll